The invention relates to golf ball markers, and more particularly a ball marker adapted to be removably attached to a golf glove.
Golf ball markers and gloves of various designs have been manufactured for many years. Most golf gloves have a slit or spacing between two sections extending along the back of the glove and thus along the back of a user""s hand which allows the user the ability to insert his or her hand into the golf glove with the fingers in the finger portions of the glove by spreading or opening the slit. Once the fingers are in position, the glove is then tightened about the user""s hand by pulling the two sections together and securing the glove such as by a connecting tab extending between the sections across the slit. The tab is usually sewn to one section at one side of the slit and may utilize a hooks and loops connection, with one of the hooks or loops connected to the tab and the other connected to the glove at the section at the other side of the slit. Accordingly, the tab may be pulled to close the slit and the connection made between the sections to secure the glove to fit about the user""s hand.
A number of years ago, golf glove manufacturers began to provide removable ball marker attached to the golf glove. These removable markers operate in a similar as xe2x80x9csnapxe2x80x9d connectors in clothing. The glove is equipped with the female connection portion, or socket, and the marker has a cooperating male fitting, or stud, on its back. The female connector is almost always located at the base of the glove near the wrist of the user and is usually located close to the slit and on the side of the slit where the tab is sewn to the glove near the wrist of the user at the small finger side of the glove. This position for some golfers may be somewhat awkward.
Moreover, in the traditional snap construction, a prong member is placed within the glove and the barbs extend through the glove. The socket member is then placed on top of the barbs and pressure is applied to secure the prong to the socket. The socket remains extending a distance beyond the outside surface of the glove. Accordingly, when the stud member is connected to the socket member, it also extends a distance beyond the exterior glove surface along with the connected ball marker. Because the ball marker extends in an unprotected manner with its bottom surface exposed above an exterior surface of the glove, it may get snagged on clothing or other items. This could result in a number of problems for the golfer including the possible inadvertent and unknowing loss of the ball marker.
Tate, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,996,116, 6,163,889, and 6,170,088, forgoes the traditional prong and socket connection. Tate utilizes magnets to connect ball markers to clothing, including to golf gloves. While the use of magnetically retained golf ball markers is not widespread, the Tate patents show that a need exists to improve upon the traditional ball marker connection system.
An object of the invention is to provide a detachable ball marker for use with a golf glove, preferably attachable on the connecting tab and protected in an advantageous configuration.
Another object of the invention is to provide a ball marker of advantageous construction and design.
Accordingly, a golf ball marker preferably has a plug illustrated as a disc shape like a coin. The disc may be stamped out in quantity. Located at the center of the disc is a cylindrical recess which does not extend the thickness of the disc. A prong connector member is then inserted into the recess to where the base of the prong connecter coincides with the recess and a bottom surface of the base is substantially parallel, and preferably coplanar, with a bottom surface of the disc. The prong then appears to extend from a bottom surface of the disc. The base is preferably soldered in place.
The golf glove includes a tab has a removable ball marker connected thereto. A top surface of a ball marker preferably is substantially flush with a ridge on the tab. The ridge extends a distance above an exterior surface of the tab. A rubber insert having a hole therein receives a back surface of the ball marker within a recess defined within the ridge. The rubber insert preferably includes a retainer, or a surrounding protector, about the ball marker. A socket is located within the hole of the rubber insert to receive a prong which is connected to the back of the ball marker.